Nick Cassidy will be taking part in the final two races of the 2021 DTM calendar, replacing Alex Albon.
Cassidy will be driving the AlphaTauri-liveried, AF Corse-operated Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo at the Norisring finale. It will mark the New Zealander’s second start in a DTM event, after a wildcard start in a Lexus LC500 Super GT car at the Hockenheimring in 2019.
The plan had always been for Albon and Cassidy to share the car throughout the season, with Cassidy taking over whenever the DTM season clashed with Albon’s commitments as a test and reserve driver at Red Bull.
Albon was allowed to participate in the championship round at the Red Bull Ring despite the clash with the Dutch Grand Prix as his previous victory at the Nürburgring put him into title contention.
However, with Albon no longer in title contention and the Norisring finale clashing with the Turkish Grand Prix, the decision was made to insert Cassidy into the car for the season finale instead.
Albon will return to a full-time position in Formula 1 with Williams in 2022, meaning that his DTM tenure will come to a premature end. He leaves the series with one victory and three podiums out of 14 race starts.
Cassidy, meanwhile, steps into the weekend in a likely supporting role for compatriot Liam Lawson. Lawson is embroiled in a fierce battle for the championship with Kelvin van der Linde. The title battle will be decided this weekend.
The 2019 Japanese Super GT champion is no stranger to the Nuremberg street circuit, having raced there in Formula 3 in both 2013 and 2016.
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